Jethro Tull - This Was (Chrysalis) 1968J E T H R O ..T U L L
Jethro Tull - This Was (Chrysalis) 1968
1."My Sunday Feeling"
(3:38)
2."Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You" (2:42)
3."Beggar's Farm" (4:19)
4."Move on Alone" (2:00)
5."Serenade to a Cuckoo" [instrumental] (6:01)
6."Dharma for One" [instrumental] (4:11)
7."It's Breaking Me Up" (4:56)
8."Cat's Squirrel" [instrumental] (5:36)
9."A Song for Jeffrey" (3:18)
10."Round" [instrumental] (:50)
Recorded during the summer of 1968, Jethro Tull's debut album is an impressive blues-rock affair, with tons of instrumental jams. A noticeable exception to the blues structure is "Dharma for One" which features a fast and furious drum solo, that has more in common with the psychedelia of the day than blues. However, the very next song, "It's Picking Me Up" returns with some cutting blues complete with harp jams. "Serenade to a Cuckoo," yet another standout cut, has a very jazzy sound with some cool flute work, as one would expect from a Tull album. I have read that this was the first song Jon Anderson learned to play on flute. Overall, an impressive debut album.
Jethro Tull - Stand Up (Chrysalis) 1969
1. "A New Day Yesterday"
(4:08)
2. "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" (2:03)
3. "Bouree" [instrumental] (3:45)
4. "Back to the Family" (3:45)
5. "Look into the Sun" (4:18)
6. "Nothing is Easy" (4:20)
7. "Fat Man" (2:48)
8. "We Used to Know" (3:55)
9. "Reasons for Waiting" (4:00)
10. "For a Thousand Mothers" (4:12)
I really have a hard time believing this album is from 1969. Man, I am getting old. Anyhow, Jethro Tull's second album, with Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, acoustic guitars, keyboards), Martin Barre (electric guitar, flute), Clive Bunker (drums), and Glen Cornick (bass), is really outstanding and solidified the band's sound and style for years to come. There are some great bluesy tracks on here, but there is much more in the way of English folk music and progressive rock than blues. "Fat Man" which is a funny song, and "Bourée" are outstanding tracks and both were played live by the band for many years after the release of 'Stand Up.' This album is a classic and stands the test of time, sounding as good today as it did years ago.
Jethro Tull - War Child (Chrysalis) 1974
1. "WarChild"
(4:33)
2. "Queen and Country" (2:59)
3. "Ladies" (3:16)
4. "Back-Door Angels" (5:30)
5. "Sea Lion" (3:35)
6. "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" (4:02)
7. "Bungle in the Jungle" (3:34)
8. "Only Solitaire" (1:29)
9. "The Third Hurrah" (4:47)
10. "Two Fingers" (5:07)
After two songs that were more epic and progressive in nature, Jethro Tull returns to shorter songs and a slightly less powerful sound. "War Child" slightly returns the band to their 60's sound, delivering a mixture of pop, blues, and a bit of folk music. This disc features a few classic rock stapples in "Bungle in the Jungle" and ""Skating Away." I also particularly like "Sea Lion".
Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery (Chrysalis) 1975
1. "Minstrel in the
Gallery" (8:09)
2. "Cold Wind to Valhalla" (4:17)
3. "Black Satin Dancer" (6:51)
4. "Requiem" (3:41)
5. "One White Duck/016 = Nothing at All" (4:35)
6. "Baker St. Muse" (16:40)
7. "Grace" (0:37)
A fan favorite and one of Tull's most successful albums, yet one that does not contain much in the way of hits. In my opinion this is not a bad thing. "Baker St. Muse" is a phenomenal, epic length song. Not only is it one of the best on the album, but one of Tull's best overall. I am also partial to the hard rockin' "Minstrel in the Gallery" and the dynamic "Cold Wind to Valhalla." "Requiem" is a nice acoustic number featuring Ian Anderson singing and playing an acoustic guitar along with a small string orchestra.
Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock'n'Roll, Too Young to Die (Chrysalis) 1976
1. "Quizz Kid"
(5:07)
2. "Crazed Institution" (4:45)
3. "Salamander" (2:49)
4. "Taxi Grab" (3:51)
5. "From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser" (4:07)
6. "Bad-Eyed and Loveless" (2:11)
7. "Big Dipper" (3:32)
8. "Too Old to Rock'n'Roll, Too Young to Die" (5:39)
9. "Pied Piper" (4:29)
10. "The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)" (5:25)
"Too Old to Rock'n'Roll, Too Young to Die," the song, is one of my favorite Tull songs of all time. Don't know why but it just sticks in my head like superglue whenever I hear it. Reading reviews on a few Tull fan pages, "Too Old to RnR" doesn't seem to be a favorite. This is probably due to the absence of any epic-length, progressive pieces of which Tull had become known for with "Thick As a Brick", "Minstrel in the Gallery" and "A Passion Play". As for me nostalgia plays a major role, and I love this entire disc. Had it when I was a kid on vinyl, and sure am glad to have in on disc as an old man. So, I guess the title track is now applicable to me too. "Too Old to RnR" is a good collection of classic rock 'n' roll.
Jethro Tull - The Broadsword and the Beast (Chrysalis) 1982
1. "Beastie"
(3:55)
2. "Clasp" (4:16)
3. "Fallen on Hard Times" (3:12)
4. "Flying Colours" (4:37)
5. "Slow Marching Band" (3:38)
6. "Broadsword" (5:01)
7. "Pussy Willow" (3:53)
8. "Watching Me, Watching You" (3:38)
9. "Seal Driver" (5:09)
10. "Cheerio" (1:10)
Jethro tull entered the 1980's with an album that would prove to be one of their strongest of the decade. As is usual with Jethro Tull, this CD is chock full of progressive songwriting that includes that majestic sounding flute. The difference between this album and the band's classic 70's catalog, however, is that Peter-John Vettesse's synthesizers/keyboards became as important to the songs as Martin Barre's electric guitar or even Anderson's flute. Of course, in retrospect, this gives this album a feel that was more in tune with the 80's. The tone here is slightly more ethereal than a lot of Jehthro Tull's past albums. The folk feel to the music isn't really all that present, save for a few songs like "Broadsword", "Fallen on Hard Times" and "Pussywillow". However, it's not as though these songs don't fit in with the album overall. Actually, I find this to be an enjoyable listen from beginning to end. If I were to pick out favorites, "Beastie" would probably be at the top of the list. "Broadsword and the Beast" was a transition album of sorts for the band. Those that were looking for the Tull of old may have been a bit disappointed with this album. Those willing to allow for changing with the times, probably could appreciate the mixture of old, classic Tull and the newer 1980's influences. I must also make mention of the cover, which I think is one of Tull's finest. The cover, depicting Ian Anderson as a mythical elf creature with wings and a sword, is probably one of my favorite album covers.
Jethro Tull - Catfish Rising
(Chrysalis) 1991
1. "This Is Not Love"
(3:56)
2. "Occasional Demons" (3:48)
3. "Roll Yer Own" (4:25)
4. "Rocks on the Road" (5:30)
5. "Sparrow on the Schoolyard Wall" (5:21)
6. "Thinking Round Corners" (3:31)
7. "Still Loving You Tonight" (4:30)
8. "Doctor to My Disease" (4:34)
9. "Like a Tall Thin Girl" (3:36)
10. "White Innocence" (7:43)
11. "Sleeping With the Dog" (4:25)
12. "Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie" (3:39)
13. "When Jesus Came to Play" (5:04)
A quick check on the net and I soon discovered that this album is either loved as "one of Tull's best" by fans, or it is loathed as "the worst album Tull has ever released". To be quite frank, I am not as familiar with Tull's work after albums like "Aqualung", "Thick As a Brick" or "To Old to Rock and Roll". While this album was released in 1991, it wasn't until 2007 that I had heard one not of "Catfish Rising". Shame on me, I know. However, apart from the hype of a new release that is created by both fans and record companies, "Catfish Rising" is a good Tull album. To say it's his 'best' is a bit of a stretch, but to say it's his worst, is just a shame. The album starts off with the hard rocking "This is Not Love" then quickly moves itself off into bluesy musical territory, mingling with folk, rock, and some other odd influences. Lots of acoustic moments peppered throughout, along with that signature Ian Anderson flute. Standout cuts, "This In Not Love" and "Thinking Round Corners", which features a cool guitar solo. "Catfish Rising" may not be Tull's best, but it's far from a bad album either.